so ive been at this for about 8 months now and i can receive pretty well up to maybe 18-20 wpm on a good day but my sending is just... not great. im using a Begali Traveler that i picked up used and honestly i think its a fine paddle i just dont think i know how to set it up properly or maybe my technique is wrong

the main issue is after like 20-30 minutes of operating my right hand starts to really tense up, especially between the thumb and index finger, and my dits start sounding uneven. ive watched a bunch of videos on hold technique and i keep seeing people say to barely rest your fingers on the contacts but when i do that i fumble everything. i feel like im fighting the paddle the whole time

anyone gone through this and figured it out? also my keyer is the one built into my IC-7300 and i wonder if the iambic mode settings have anything to do with it, im currently on mode B i think

the tension thing is super common and honestly took me a couple years to really get past. what helped me most was slowing way down and just practicing squeeze keying without actually transmitting, like just listening to the sidetone at maybe 12 wpm until my hand found a relaxed position naturally. when you're straining to keep up with the speed your hand compensates by gripping harder which just makes everything worse

on the Begali specifically the gap adjustment is pretty touchy. if the contacts are too far apart you end up having to travel too much which makes your muscles work harder. try tightening the gap just a little more than you think you need and see if that helps. also for what its worth i dont like iambic mode B for most casual operating, mode A feels a bit more forgiving to me when im not perfectly squeezing. worth trying both and seeing which one clicks for you

yeah the hand tension thing got me too for a while. someone at my club told me to try operating with my elbow resting on the table rather than my wrist and it made a huge difference, less strain on the tendons i guess. also are you using the paddle on a slippery surface? i had mine sliding around and i didnt realize how much energy i was wasting just trying to keep it in place until i stuck some rubber feet on the base